Blindsided
by rebelxxwaltz
Summary: Mokuba decides it's a good idea to set his big brother up on a blind date...with Anzu? Does disaster await, or will something unexpected unfold? Seto x Anzu. Chapter 7 has FINALLY arrived! Reviews will make me happy.
1. Prologue

Hello, everybody! As you can see, this is (another) new story. But listen carefully to a few things I'm about to say, because it's important!

Firstly, this story is not going to be my main focus. This is basically a promise to readers of** The Night Before** that I'm not shirking my duties. I just wanted something to play with to keep the ideas coming. Therefore, this may not be getting updated often, or indeed, possibly at all anytime in the near future. Which brings me to the final note of import concerning this story.

I am publishing this simultaneously alongside another story called **Comfort Me**. This is just a fun little idea I had...to publish two stories of very different styles at the same time and choose to continue one of them based on which one receives the most favorable response. Neither of these stories are earth-shatteringly original, they're just concepts I've been playing around with. They won't have the lengthy scope of **The Night Before**, either. And as I say, only ONE of these stories is going to be regularly updated. I intend to finish them both, but two stories at once is about all I can reasonably handle.

Here is a summary for **Comfort Me** in case you are interested: Two people, each suffering with a private tragedy, reluctantly draw comfort from one another. Will Seto and Anzu be brave enough to let comfort evolve into something more?

As you can probably guess, **Comfort Me** is more angst-filled and serious than this story you're about to read, though as always I'm trying my hardest to keep everyone in character. The fun part, I guess, will be seeing which kind of story people are more interested in, something humorous or something angsty!

This story has no particular connection with the plot of the series, manga or anime. So please, don't come after me with sharp objects if there's anything that doesn't jive with the canon. The plot rests solely on the situation I've decided to create. Call it AU if it makes you happy.

So that's that. I hope you'll help me out by responding to the stories and letting me know which one you like better. I'm hoping this will be a successful experiment!

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Don't own the characters, either. This plot may have been done 100 times, I don't know. But I'm pretty sure it hasn't been done exactly my way. Do me a favor and let me know if it's too similar to another story!

**Blind-sided**

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

"I really think you need a date!"

"And you need your head examined."

The spacious office on the second floor of the Kaiba Mansion was thick with uncomfortable tension. Two figures faced each other, engaged in what was clearly a standoff of epic proportions. Yes, Seto Kaiba, handsome, wealthy, rich, brilliant, reportedly ruthless CEO was trying _desperately_ to avoid being set up on a date-- by his little brother.

"Come on, would it really be that bad?"

"Probably."

"When was the last time you really spent time with a girl?"

"Never."

Mokuba Kaiba raised an eyebrow at his older brother's clipped admission. Frankly, Mokuba was a bit disappointed. He had expected this to be a lot harder. After only three minutes of conversation, the younger Kaiba already had Seto right where he wanted him.

"_Never?_ What, are you scared of girls or something? No wonder that kid in my Algebra class said you were--"

"I am _NOT_ gay!"

Seto was especially touchy about the rumors of his apparent homosexuality. Honestly, just because he wasn't out in public with his tongue down some bimbo's throat...

"Well, what do you expect people to think? You _could_ at least show a little interest."

The CEO sighed, cradling his chestnut head in his hands. He _hated_ when Mokuba decided to run wild with some ridiculous idea. And the kid was disturbingly persistent.

"Interest? Mokuba, you know as well as I do that half the women in Domino are after me for my money."

Mokuba smirked. Actually _smirked_. "I'll find you a nice girl, I promise. Please, big brother?"

Seto could feel himself giving in under the hard-edged pressure of Mokuba's...little brother-ness. His traitorous head began to nod in assent. _No. No! Tell me I didn't just agree to this!_

Mokuba released a manic whoop and jogged merrily out of the room. "Mokuba! You better not try to set me up with Jounouchi's sister, or I'll--" He let the threat hang, realizing Mokuba was out of earshot.

All that was left, then, was Seto. A completely dumbstruck, shell-shocked Seto. What..._what _had just happened? Had he just agreed to let _Mokuba_ set him up on _a blind date?_

Seto rubbed his temples wearily, dropping his expensive pen on top of a pile of urgent paperwork. "Damn it..." Not only was he swamped with work, now he'd have to endure an evening with whatever twittering fangirl or out and out hooker Mokuba dug up and shoved into his path. He was _already_ bone tired, and this only made matters worse.

This was shaping up to be a terrible week.

**xxxxxxx**

**xxxxxxx**

Mokuba skipped merrily down the hallway. This was shaping up to be a fantastic week. _Finally_ he'd found the right time to get Seto to agree to the blind date. His plan could finally go into action!

Grabbing a cookie from the cookie jar and heading to the den to start working on his homework, Mokuba mentally reviewed the components of his brilliant scheme.

Lonely, overworked brother? _Check._

Permission to meddle in love life of said brother? Mokuba pondered for a moment. _Semi-check_. He didn't want to get _too_ far ahead of himself.

Suitable female companion? _Oh, check check check! _Mokuba giggled out loud. This was the best part. The choice of girl was, in fact, the chief reason why Mokuba had chosen to enact his plan at this particular time. He'd known for a long while that Seto was lonely (not that the older boy would _ever_ under _any_ circumstances, admit it), and that he needed someone other than Mokuba to give him a little affection. But it hadn't been until yesterday afternoon while visiting Yugi at the Kame Game Shop (one stop occasionally made on the way home from school that Seto most definitely did _not_ know about) that Mokuba figured out _exactly_ who that perfect 'someone' would be.

_**oooo Flashback oooo**_

The cards hung limply from Mokuba's hand as he observed the normally vibrant dark-haired girl. She was sitting in the corner, practically ignoring Jounouchi as he chatted to her about something. She wore a very uncharacteristic melancholy expression.

"Hey Yugi. What's wrong with Anzu?"

Yugi exchanged a glance with his taller counterpart, who was seated beside him on a couch adjacent to Mokuba. "Well, you see..."

Yugi fell silent, seemingly unable or unwilling to explain. Yami sensed that his partner was having trouble, and did his best to volunteer the information. "A matter of the heart, it seems."

Mokuba's eyebrows knit in confusion. "Matter of the heart?"

Yugi smiled sadly at the younger Kaiba. "Anzu was dating Otogi for awhile. It didn't end well."

Grey-blue eyes widened in understanding as Mokuba processed this information. So he...broke up with her? But why would he do that?

Yami spoke to Mokuba and Yugi in a low voice as the three surreptitiously observed Anzu. "She is hurting..."

Anzu's normally sparkling eyes seemed dull, her posture defeated. The small smile on her face appeared to have been put there deliberately, to pacify Jounouchi and Honda. In Mokuba's mind, there was something fundamentally wrong about a broken-hearted Anzu. She didn't deserve that. She was the best girl Mokuba could think of. She was beautiful, funny, smart, brave...Mokuba had admired her for a lot of reasons, ever since the day she helped him escape from the warehouse during Battle City.

So Otogi had dumped her? That was what it sounded like, at least. He must be a complete fool, because Anzu was almost perfect--

The wheels in Mokuba's mind clicked suddenly into place.

Perfect. She _was_ perfect!

A tiny, devious smile crept onto Mokuba's face. Why hadn't he thought of it before?

_**ooooooooooooooo**_

Brushing the cookie crumbs off of his shirt, the black-haired boy opened his mathematics textbook. Anzu had actually been harder to rook into a blind date than his brother had. She was probably afraid Mokuba would set her up with a 12 year old or something. It had taken a solid week of pressure and watery-eyed begging before she finally cracked. Seto wouldn't know what hit him when he saw who he was going on a date with. And Mokuba privately hoped that Anzu wouldn't murder him.

The bright eyed young Kaiba was aware that the blind date was probably going to be an ugly mess. But with a little luck and some effort on his part maybe-- just _maybe_ he could get the two of them to think about each other differently. And then, who could say?

Mokuba snickered, silently praying to the Gods or the Cupids or whoever was in charge of this stuff.

_I hope this will shut up that jerk from Algebra class..._

**XXXXXXXX**

**XXXXXXXX**

That's it! The end of the prologue for this story. Are you intrigued? If this story is the one that gets continued right away, Seto and Anzu's date will be in the next chapter. Oh, and by the way. I know there's a story out there where Anzu pretends to date Seto to stop everyone from thinking he's gay (pretty good story, if I remember!). That isn't what's happening in my story. Those jokes about Seto's sexual orientation were purely for amusement. The plot of my story doesn't hinge upon it. Just wanted to tell you!

Make sure to let me know if you want this story to be continued! Otherwise you might have to wait awhile. It'll be added to eventually no matter what, though. I promise.

Drop me some reviews and let me know if you liked it!


	2. Dress Me Up

Well, as you can see, this story was the winner in my little angst vs humor contest! I was tremendously pleased with the feedback I received for both stories, but this one seemed to catch the most people's interest. To be honest, I had predicted that this would be the case. I would have been happy either way, but I think this will be nice. Anyone who has been reading **The Night Before** knows that it has bucket loads of angst. Writing something amusing should be fun, and will hopefully keep my creative faculties working to their full potential!

A big thanks to everyone who gave their feedback to my little experiment, especially those who were nice enough to comment on both new stories. I really enjoyed and appreciated your thoughts and reviews!

It looks like I told a little fib at the bottom of the first chapter of this story. I probably didn't know it was a fib at the time; only after this chapter wrote itself the way it did. To make a long story short, this chapter does _not_ contain a chronicle of what happens on Seto and Anzu's potentially ill-fated blind date. But I think you'll enjoy it just the same! I had a lot of fun writing it. And I wanted to set things up a little bit more. I could have continued, I suppose, but I wanted to update tonight and it just seemed like the right place to stop!

Oh, just a note on the character's ages. I'm almost totally certain they're not correct in this story. I took liberties (I know for a fact I'm not the first). Seto is 20. Anzu is still 18, but she's only a year younger than Seto. Her birthday (in my hastily created mindscape) is late in the year. Mokuba is 13. I'm pretty sure he and Seto are supposed to be just 5 years apart, but I...well, felt like making him 13. I just wanted to mention this, since I know the ages aren't right!

**Blindsided**

**Chapter 2: Dress Me Up**

Anzu Mazaki was staring at her reflection in the mirror, nerves on the edge of panic as she put the finishing touches on her light and tasteful makeup. What, exactly, had she gotten herself into?

Her reflection betrayed very little apprehension, with the exception of her expressive blue eyes. Anzu's eyes always swam and sparkled with easily decipherable hints at every emotion she was feeling. Tonight? A crackling of fear, softly pulsing anxiety, shreds of lingering sadness...and...flashes of anticipation?

Smoothing her dark hair needlessly, Anzu checked the clock on her bedroom wall. 6:30. She had plenty of time. Mokuba had instructed her to arrive at the restaurant promptly at 8PM for the B-- _God, she could hardly even think it-- Blind Date._

The dark haired girl half sighed and half groaned, sitting somewhat stiffly at the edge of her bed. Mokuba was sweet to want to cheer her up, but was she ready for _this_? It was hardly two weeks since...since...

Well, to be fair, her and Otogi's relationship hadn't really been much to shout about in the first place. It had started out as a bit of fun when they found themselves running into each other quite frequently when spring term began at Domino City College. Once the fun wore off, they soon discovered they really didn't have that much to talk about, and shared very few hobbies or interests. That wasn't what had ultimately caused their break-up, however.

They had dated for three months. Three! Yet it had taken Otogi _that_ long to figure out he was still hung up on Shizuka?

Anzu frowned, wondering why it really bothered her. The relationship was doomed from the start, really, but she _had_ cared about Otogi. And she supposed she had gotten used to having someone close; to hug, kiss, hold hands with...maybe the abrupt removal of familiar affection was clouding her perception of how she really felt.

Not to mention, whether they'd been any good as a couple or not, being dumped for someone else was bound to make a girl feel a bit...well, _less than_.

Maybe that was why she had finally agreed to go along with this little _adventure_ Mokuba had spent so many hours begging her to let him arrange. The boy had been so _complimentary_, said so many things about how wonderful she was and how he could easily find her a great guy to date that would treat her like she deserved...there was a tiny little part of Anzu that was highly receptive to such a brand of confidence-boosting flattery at this particular moment in time.

And so here she was, a little less than an hour away from throwing herself upon the mercy of the judgment of a thirteen year old boy. A very precocious boy, who not only chose her companion for the evening, but went so far as to inspect the contents of Anzu's closet and instruct her with solid authority as to which dress she should wear!

Anzu giggled, remembering the expression on Mokuba's face as he had thrust the dress into her surprised hands. He had looked so _incredibly_ similar to his older brother, from the steely glint in his eyes right down to the hard set of his jaw. His posture had indicated that he _knew_ he was right, and there were no two ways about it.

_Just what the world needs, _she mused, _another Seto Kaiba to deal with._

She couldn't argue with the results, though. She looked pretty fantastic, which already had her feeling better than she had since the break-up.

Anzu wore a satiny cream-colored dress which fell just above her knees, the material clinging in all the right places and crossing over her chest to tie behind her neck. It was probably her most sophisticated garment, and she'd styled her hair to match. She still wore her hair short, but she had pulled the front pieces away from her face and fastened them stylishly at the back of her head with an ivory hair clip her mother had given her. High-heeled strappy sandals which matched the fabric of her dress completed the ensemble, giving her a couple extra inches of height and accentuating her long legs.

Anzu really did feel quite beautiful as she exited her small apartment, draping a light wrap over her arm and locking the door. As she stepped out into the street, she idly wondered what sort of guy it was that the younger Kaiba figured would be so wonderful for her. He certainly had sounded excited when he called to tell her about the arrangements he'd made...

"Mokuba...I hope you know what you're doing!"

**XXXXXXXX**

"Big brother, _please!_ I know what I'm doing!"

It was difficult to say, at this particular moment, which of the Kaiba brothers was acting more like a stubborn adolescent.

It might have been Seto, dressed in black as usual, with his arms crossed over his chest, refusing to so much as _look_ at the assortment of differently-colored shirts Mokuba was insistently positing.

On the other hand, it may well have been Mokuba who-- well-- _was_ a stubborn adolescent, and desperately wanted his brother to wear something other than black on his date.

"Seto, it's a _date_ not a funeral! Come on, these colors are in no way offensive to the senses--"

"Contrary to what _you_ may believe, I am capable of dressing myself!"

"Do you want to scare her off? She'll think you're completely demonic if you go like that!"

Seto narrowed his eyes icily. "Everyone already thinks that anyway. It doesn't matter what _color_ I'm wearing."

"Please? For me? She's such a nice girl, Seto. I want her to like you..." Mokuba's bottom lip quivered _very_ convincingly.

"Grrrgh!" Seto snatched the shirts out of Mokuba's hands and slammed the bedroom door in his face.

Mokuba grinned, eyes observing the fine quality of the dark wood looming solidly approximately two inches in front of him. _Works every time!_

_**xxxxx**_

Ten minutes later, Seto located Mokuba, lounging casually on a leather couch in the den with a comic book perched in front of his face. The younger boy was humming to himself. _How obnoxious..._

"So, will this meet with the _lady's_ approval?"

Mokuba lowered the comic and gave his brother an appraising look. _Hmm. Well, it's an improvement at least. _Seto wore a blue silk shirt underneath a black suit jacket, with stylishly tailored..._black_ pants. The younger Kaiba grinned. "Much better. She likes blue."

"Oh, I'm _so_ glad." Sarcasm oozed from Seto's voice like water rushes over Niagara Falls. "And what _else_ does 'she' like?"

The younger boy tsked, raising an eyebrow. "If I tell you that, what will you talk about at dinner?"

Seto resisted the urge to reach over and shake his impetuous brat of a brother by the shirtfront until he violently obtained every shred of information Mokuba had on the girl he was going to meet in less than half an hour. It was obvious the boy had all the dirt on her, if he knew her well enough to say what damned _colors_ she liked...

"At least tell me she's not some blonde airhead."

A knowing smile graced Mokuba's features. "Nuh uh. She has dark hair, and attends the City College."

Seto sighed. Attending college was _not_ a guarantee against airheaded-ness last he had checked, but at least it was something.

"She better not start choking on her every word as soon as she lays eyes on me!"

Suppressing a manic giggle, Mokuba received a vision in his mind of a fiery-eyed Anzu telling his brother off less than a year ago when Seto had hurled a particularly insulting nickname in Jounouchi's direction. Mokuba was pretty sure even his big brother had been surprised at the articulate string of admonishing phrases that had flown forth from Anzu's not-so-stuttering mouth.

"I seriously doubt you'll run into _that_ particular problem."

The brothers regarded each other for several long moments with equal measures of suspicion and amusement.

"Whatever. I'm leaving. Might as well get this over with."

"Have fun, big brother!" Mokuba waved enthusiastically.

"Yeah, right."

Seto Kaiba scowled mildly as he settled into the driver's seat of his new sports car. _Maybe I'll get lucky and she'll chicken out. Then I can enjoy a nice meal by myself, just the way I like it..._

Shifting the car into gear with slightly more force than strictly necessary, Seto had a sinking suspicion that he probably _wasn't_ going to be that fortunate.

**XXXXXXXX**

**XXXXXXXX**

Hahaha, oh if Seto only knew! As you can tell, the date _will_ happen in the next chapter. That one will probably be a little bit longer, but to be honest I'm not that concerned about the length of my chapters so long as the story gets written. What will Seto and Anzu do once they figure out Mokuba set them up on a date? Mwa ha ha! _That_ would be telling!

**The Night Before **will probably get an update before this one, but if I'm very diligent and the timing works out I _should_ manage to update them both before I run off to Montreal for a few days next week. (keeps fingers crossed)

For anyone who might be wondering about the fate of **Comfort Me**, it will eventually be continued. It just might be awhile. I have tentative plans for **Blindsided** to run about 10 chapters, but I can't make any promises one way or the other. Keep your eyes peeled, I guess!

Send some reviews my way and let me know if you liked this one. Was it amusing? I laughed while writing it, so I hope it was funny for you guys too.


	3. Good Evening Or Maybe Not

Okay. I had originally intended to update **The Night Before** before this story, but I haven't yet located the notes I need for my next chapter. So I decided to go ahead and add to this one since the ideas were working in my mind. Don't worry, though. **The Night Before** will be updated soon, whether I find the notes or not.

Sorry for the long wait for updates in general; my trip to Montreal threw me off a little and I've been sort of whirling around in the tides of my own life stuff. In a good way, I guess. You know how it goes. But now it's on with the show!

**Disclaimer: **I really don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. It's true.

**Blindsided**

**Chapter 3: Good Evening... Or Maybe Not.**

Passing pedestrians mumbled softly to one another under the blue and purple sky as Anzu rounded the corner onto one of Domino's more upscale streets. She nervously surveyed the entrance to the restaurant, idly noticing that many finely dressed couples were entering and exiting through the doors. Her eyes fixed upon one pair in particular. They had just left the restaurant and were strolling in the opposite direction from where Anzu had come. The tall, sandy-headed man slid his arm around the woman's waist, squeezing her hip suggestively through the green fabric of her dress. The woman's red hair fluttered in the breeze as she snuggled closer, leaning up to whisper in his ear.

_Wow, _thought Anzu, _the champagne must be really good here. _Breaking away from her distracted line of thinking, Anzu set her face into a determined smile and strode toward the entrance. _Here goes nothing..._

Stepping into the foyer of the restaurant, Anzu was pleased to discover that her surroundings were not as imposing as she'd anticipated. Posh, yes, but in a tasteful way. Nothing snobbish or-- if she could dare use such a ridiculous word-- _froufrou. _The entryway was small and comfortable, with several inviting chairs available for patrons who were waiting for any reason. The tones were soft and earthy, not the stark and severe shades she had expected to find in a French restaurant of such reputation.

Anzu crept a little further forward to peer into the restaurant proper. It actually looked quite lovely; the tables were not uncomfortably small, each draped artfully in crisp white cloth with light green ribbon edging the bottom. The dining chairs seemed surprisingly cushiony, upholstered in a neutral light brown that would certainly facilitate easy transitional decorating according to season. Each table was graced with a small vase of white and yellow flowers and illuminated by small white candles in green glass holders. The artificial light in the room that she was viewing (she imagined there were several more) was dimmed to a pleasant and intimate level. Impressed by the execution of the springy theme, Anzu wondered what this room would look like during colder months. She imagined color schemes dominated by maroons and darker shades of brown and cream. Lost in her observations, Anzu totally failed to notice the Maitre d' gliding over to stand beside her.

"Good evening, madam. I hope you find our decor to you liking?"

Anzu jumped, ceasing her admiration of the way the green curtains and cream colored walls lent warmth to the darkened sky visible through the large windows. "Oh! Umm, yes. Sorry to...well, you know." Anzu blushed, stepping back into the foyer to face the slim gentleman who had spoken to her.

"Not to worry, I'm sure. Now then, may I be of service in any way?"

The Maitre d' observed her with expectant politeness, thin mustache twitching slightly. Anzu smiled. This guy had 'snooty French restaurant Maitre d' ' written all over him, but he seemed nice enough.

"I'm...supposed to be meeting somebody. Mokuba Kaiba told me I should ask for Jean-Pierre."

"Ahh, yes. You must be the young lady Master Mokuba spoke to me about. _I_ am Jean-Pierre." Jean-Pierre gave a curt nod and smiled somewhat smugly, as though being 'Jean-Pierre' was quite an impressive accomplishment. "The young master has informed me of the...arrangements." He arched an eyebrow playfully, causing Anzu's cheeks to redden yet again. "Please, step this way."

Accepting his proffered arm, Anzu allowed Jean-Pierre to lead her through the restaurant. There were many diners, and some turned their heads curiously. Anzu wondered if perhaps it was unusual for a guest to receive such treatment from the Maitre d'?

Anzu was glad to see that they seemed to be headed for a relatively secluded corner. This way, less people would be watching if she humiliated herself.

Jean-Pierre gestured toward a table, set elegantly for two. "Here you are, madam. Allow me to seat you. Your dinner companion should be along shortly. He is always very punctual."

Anzu turned, intending to slide into the chair Jean-Pierre had indicated. Before she had a chance, however, she found herself shocked into place by a worryingly familiar cold blue glare. The eyes from which this glare originated were attached to a tall man with shiny brown hair. He was dressed in somewhat imposing dark colors, contrasting sharply with the subtle tones of their surroundings. The little gears in Anzu's mind began to grind in alarm. _What_ was Seto Kaiba doing here?

**xxxxxx**

_Ugh. How nauseating, _thought Seto as he walked past a shamelessly amorous couple on his way to the restaurant entrance. The woman had just slid her arm inside the man's suit coat and around his waist. The two swayed slightly, clearly more focused on each other than on the simple task of walking. _Obviously drunk, _Seto figured. He hated public displays of affection. By other people, anyway. He'd never experienced such a thing himself, but was sure it would make him even more uncomfortable than he already secretly felt when he saw other people acting that way. Couldn't these people _control_ themselves?

Seto had parked his car about a block away from the restaurant like always. They had valet, but he had absolutely no trust whatsoever in the snot-nosed hoodlums that always seemed to be on parking duty. He didn't like the idea of a stranger driving his car, and also had no desire to make such an obvious arrival. A lot of people _did_ go to this restaurant in order to be seen. Seto, on the other hand, went there to _eat_ (what a novel idea), and he preferred to do that without flashbulbs erupting in his face.

Upon entering the restaurant, Seto felt immediately at ease. There was something soothing about the way the place was decorated, and it wasn't pretentious or overly fancy. Some of the clientele were, perhaps, but they usually at least knew enough to leave him alone.

For a few blissful moments, Seto almost forgot why he was here. His mind danced briefly with visions of filet mignon au poivre paired with...well, whatever red wine it was supposed to go with. Seto didn't have time to bother with details that were best left to a trained sommelier.

A vision of Mokuba's giggling face shattered Seto's culinary reverie. The CEO remembered, then, that he was supposed to eat dinner _with a woman._ One chosen by _Mokuba. _Seto groaned. If she was anything like his little brother, her idea of _haute cuisine_ probably involved a gallon of soda and a box of Oreos. _And doesn't that sound like a figure-flattering combination..._

Sighing, Seto glanced around briefly, expecting to find the Maitre d'. What was his name again? Jacques? Jean-Paul? Oh well. He was probably busy simpering at someone over the delightfulness of the foie gras. Seto wrinkled his nose and started making his way toward his usual table.

People's eyes automatically fixed upon Seto as he weaved his way across the room. He cut a rather striking figure; being as he was quite tall, extremely handsome, and somewhat intimidating, it was hard for people not to look. He smirked slightly when an attractive woman in her thirties dropped her fork as he passed. He satisfied himself briefly with imagining the glare on her date's face...

That is, until he noticed what was going on at his table. The mystery of the whereabouts of the Maitre d' was solved as Seto saw him leading what appeared to be a very attractive and nicely dressed young woman by the arm. She was actually quite tall for a girl, with dark hair as Mokuba had described. Hmm, maybe his brother was smarter than he gave him credit for. It was also quite apparent that chocolate cookies were in no way a regular feature of this girl's diet. Seto quirked an eyebrow, hoping her face was as pleasing as the rest of the view.

Seto sidled up just as Jean-Pierre (he had finally remembered the name) was pulling out a chair to seat her-- his _date_. For a moment, Seto felt nervous. Then, the woman turned just slightly, giving him his first clear view of her face.

His nervousness mutated into numb terror, laced with shock and sprinkled with extreme rage.

"_Mazaki!"_

**xxxxxx**

'Deer in the headlights' didn't even come _close_ to describing how Anzu felt at this moment. _Kaiba_. God, she was already nervous enough. This was exactly what she _didn't_ need right now...

"K-Kaiba! What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

Seto's eyes narrowed. "I think I should be the one asking that question, seeing as you're lurking precariously close to _my_ table."

"But I--" She gestured helplessly toward the Maitre d', who looked somewhat shell-shocked himself. "He--" Anzu attempted to extract her tongue fro the severe tangle Kaiba's presence had tied it into. "_Mokuba..._hold on a sec. Did you say this was _your_ table? Oh _God_ no...!"

Seto rolled his eyes, turning his attention to the Maitre d'. "Exactly _what_ is the meaning of this?" Surely it was just a simple mix-up...

Jean-Pierre coughed politely. "Good evening, Mr. Kaiba." Shifting uncomfortably, he gestured toward Anzu. "Your, err, companion for the evening, compliments of Master Mokuba."

A deathly silence lingered around the table as Seto digested this information. This _had_ to be some kind of mistake. Mokuba would _never_ set him up on a date with _Anzu Mazaki_. Not if he wanted to live long enough to see his fourteenth birthday. Glancing to the side, Seto notice that everyone in the room was watching the scene with _great_ interest.

Anzu finally snapped out of her trance. With sudden clarity, she realized there were only two activities on her current list of 'things to do'. First, she would escape. She would rather be almost _anywhere_ than where she was right now. Then, she would kill Mokuba. Slowly and somewhat painfully, being sure to first extract from him (through torture, of course) whatever twisted notion he'd come across that made him think it was a good plan to set her up on a date _with his brother_.

She shifted her weight, preparing to bolt. "This is obviously too ridiculous for words. I'll just be going now." Anzu made to step away, but noticed that something was impeding her progress. Her nerves jolted violently when she realized that the 'something' was Seto Kaiba's hand _grabbing her wrist_. Her wide ocean eyes turned to his face with astonishment. He looked mad. _Really_ mad.

"Sit down, Mazaki." The order was growled through tightly clenched teeth. Anzu failed to notice his curt nod to the Maitre d'.

"W--" She felt herself being ushered toward the chair. "Are you _serious_? You can't actually expect me to--"

"Everyone is _watching. Sit. Down."_

The pressure of the chair on the back of her legs forced Anzu into a sitting position. Seto followed suit as Jean-Pierre scurried away.

Seto and Anzu glared at each other across the table, viewing each other with what seemed to be extreme dislike. They both sat stiffly, and they both felt like _complete fools_.

_This is just great, _thought Anzu. _Now I've got to sit here and feel like a total idiot just because Kaiba doesn't want to be humiliated in front of all these people._

Seto's mind was similarly entertained. _Wonderful. I have to endure dinner with Mazaki, or every tabloid in Domino will run a story about me stranding a helpless beautiful woman in an extremely expensive restaurant. _

Hold it. Beautiful? Yeah right. That would be the day...

Two or three minutes passed, with not a word being spoken. They had ceased glaring at each other, instead choosing interesting spots on the wall to stare at. Anzu sighed. They couldn't very well sit here in complete silence all night, could they? Maybe a little small talk wouldn't hurt. "So, umm..."

"You can save your idle chit-chat, Mazaki. I really have no interest in anything you could possibly say."

The ocean of Anzu's eyes turned suddenly stormy. "Well _excuse me_, Kaiba! If I'm not mistaken, it was _your_ brother that put us in this situation in the first place!"

Seto smirked, He knew there was no truth whatsoever in what he was about to say, but he just couldn't resist. "Hn. So you say. Tell me, how many times did you have to beg Mokuba before he agreed to set you up with me?"

Anzu's jaw dropped. "Are you _completely_ delusional? Like I would _ever_ want to go on a date with _you!_ Maybe you need your big, fat head examined, Kaiba! I think your ego has grown so large it's cutting off the oxygen to your brain!

Seto frowned. Sure, he despised the girl, but her apparent repulsion at the thought of spending time with him put a little dent in his apparently overlarge ego nonetheless. Shouldn't _he_ be the one dishing out the insults here? This role reversal was not to his liking.

"And take Mokuba to the shrink too, while you're at it. If he actually thought setting _us_ up was a good idea, he must be even more twisted than you!"

_Ugh..._ Seto's head hurt already. _Doesn't she ever shut up?_

"Why don't you just pipe down, Mazaki?"

Surprisingly, she did.

Seto sighed in defeat. "Look. I realize Mokuba's..._severe_ miscalculation...wasn't your fault. Which is why, against my better judgment, I'm going to buy you dinner anyway."

Anzu was speechless. Was Kaiba actually..._apologizing_?

Seto displayed a somewhat mirthless smirk. "Rather, Mokuba will be buying _both of us_ dinner, since I intend to deduct the cost of whatever we order from his next allowance. I doubt your taste is very sophisticated, but _try_ to order something expensive, will you?"

"Umm...okay..."

This was certainly the strangest night of Anzu's life, and she was obviously eating dinner with a complete sadist. However, she found herself curiously unable to resist such an opportunity to get revenge on the younger Kaiba. She almost smiled as the waiter handed her a menu embossed with gold leaf. It was also hard to refuse what was sure to be an extraordinary meal, even if she _did _have to eat it with Kaiba.

_Kaiba...I can't believe I'm on a date with Kaiba. _Peering over the top of her menu, Anzu observed the CEO. He was perusing his own menu with a determined expression. She almost felt sorry for Mokuba. He'd probably be lucky to get his next allowance at all. The candlelight made Kaiba's hair shine and threw his attractive features into sharp relief. Any other woman in Domino would probably melt into a little puddle at the thought of being in her place...come to think of it, she'd never really seen Kaiba going around with a girlfriend or anything. Anzu wondered suddenly why Kaiba had agreed to let Mokuba set him up on a date. Was he...lonely?

Redirecting her attention to the menu with some effort, Anzu tried to calm her frayed nerves and concentrate on the task at hand. It was certainly easier to drool over escargot or braised lamb than it was to ponder about Seto Kaiba's--she shuddered to think-- _feelings_.

Anzu's eyes were involuntarily drawn to the wine list. Maybe a glass of Champagne would take the edge off. After all, this was shaping up to be a _very long dinner_...

**XXXXXXXX**

**XXXXXXXX**

There you have it. Clearly, the date will be continued in the next chapter. What will Seto order? Will Anzu drink too much Champagne? Will it all end in disaster? Find out in the next chapter. I don't know yet, but maybe we'll check in on Mokuba, as well.

I hope you guys are enjoying this and finding it humorous. It sure has been fun to write so far! Let me know what you think by reviewing. Reviews make my day! Thanks to all of you who reviewed chapter 2, as well. I've been really pleased with the response for this!


	4. Wining and Dining

Yo. Here's another chapter! I promise to anyone that's reading **The Night Before** that my next update for that one will be longer; at least comparable to my last 2 chapters of this story. The thing is with **TNB**, I usually write each chapter in one sitting. 2500 words may seem short when you go to read it, but when I'm writing it out and then typing it it doesn't feel so short! With this story, things proceed more gradually, which seems to result in longer chapters. (shrug) Just trying to illustrate that I'm not neglecting my main story!

I'm pretty pleased with how this one is going so far, and I've been delighted with the response. In case you were wondering, I'm not entirely sure where the plot of this is going. I have a few ideas, though. Hopefully good ones.

Thanks to all the reviewers; I'm so glad you're enjoying this!

**Blindsided**

**Chapter 4: Wining and Dining**

"...and a glass of Champagne for the lady, then. For you sir?"

Seto rolled his eyes, wondering if Mazaki had ever eaten in a nice restaurant before in her life. What kind of plebeian orders Champagne by the glass? "Just bring a whole bottle, Marcel. An expensive one. You know what I like."

"Very good, Mr. Kaiba."

Anzu glared across the table. "You're not going to make Mokuba pay for _that_ are you?"

Seto smirked mildly, declining to answer.

He had to admit, Mazaki had managed to surprise him. It'd been difficult not to at least raise an eyebrow as she'd spoken to the waiter in perfect French a few minutes ago, enquiring about the _prix fixe_ menu for the evening and ultimately ordering herself escargot in a garlic parsley sauce and roast duck breast with a raspberry sage glaze. Her glossy lips had twisted into a smirk of her own as she regarded him, and he knew this was her revenge against him for implying that she was unsophisticated.

Seto spoke passably good French himself, but resisted the urge to throw it in her face by using it. He figured she might bristle even more if he _didn't_-- thereby indicating that he was Seto Kaiba and whatever language he decided to speak was the one people would listen in.

Awkward silence was still prevalent in their quiet little corner of the restaurant. Seto would never admit it, but Mazaki was one of the few people he knew that could make him feel...uncomfortable. Ever since she'd given him that lecture at Duelist Kingdom he'd known she wasn't scared to give him a piece of her mind-- usually a noisy, unpleasant piece that he really didn't want to hear. He had been tempted to use physical violence against her on a few occasions, but fortunately for Mazaki he wasn't a complete Barbarian. Besides, the method that seemed to infuriate her the most was when he just pretended he hadn't heard her at all.

And now, here he was, on a _date_ with her. Maybe he'd been allowing Mokuba too much sugar after all; it had obviously addled his brains.

Seto sighed, trying to think of a way this could be any worse.

_She could be ugly, _the voice in his head reasoned.

Looking at Mazaki across the table, fiddling with her cloth napkin and pretending to be interested in a painting on the wall, elegant neck stretched sideways to reveal an attractive feminine profile, Seto had to admit that she really _was_ a pretty girl. But that didn't mean that he was interested in her-- he cringed-- _romantically_. Nor was he ever planning to be. _Ever_.

The voice tried again. _At least she's not a gold digger. _

That was true. Mazaki wasn't the least bit interested in his money, or, it seemed, in him. He wasn't sure why he felt bothered by the fact that she was apparently repulsed by the idea of dating him. After all, he certainly didn't want to date _her_. It's not like Seto thought he was God's gift to women, but he knew he had some fine qualities many of them would be _all_ too interested in. And he _wasn't_ talking about his wallet. Oh well. It wasn't his problem, really. She could think whatever she wanted. The fact that both of them found the situation equally unpleasant merely simplified things.

Seto's conscience gave the mental equivalent of a shrug. _At least you know she's not going to get all touchy feely with you--_

Suddenly, Seto felt something brushing against his leg. He visibly stiffened, glaring an icy glare. "Mazaki, I don't know what Mokuba told you, but I'm not interested in playing 'footsies' under the table between courses."

Anzu's face turned bright red. "Well Excuse me for trying to move a little, Kaiba! It's not my fault your stupid long legs take up all the space!"

"Whatever..." He moved his feet slightly closer to his chair. Didn't she realize it also wasn't _his_ fault that he had long legs?

Seto's eyebrows knit in confusion as he saw a dazzling smile spread across Mazaki's face. What the hell was she smiling about? Finally, he noticed that a young waiter had arrived with their salads and Seto's cold herb and tomato soup. The handsome waiter blushed as he set Mazaki's artichoke hearts and endives in front of her. Seto frowned. Did she _really_ have to flirt with the wait staff when she was supposed to be on a 'date' with _him_?

Just then, Marcel returned with a bottle of Champagne in a bucket of ice. Seto's gaze shifted between Mazaki-- who now appeared to be enjoying herself _immensely_, his food, and the glass of Champagne Marcel had just poured him. He grabbed the glass, watching the sommelier wink at Mazaki as he departed. The girl took up her salad fork and began picking delicately at the scrumptious salad, cheeks glowing a pleasant pink.

_What have I done to deserve this torture, _Seto wondered. Knowing there couldn't _possibly_ be a simple answer, he picked up a fork and stabbed violently at his own artichoke hearts.

**xxxxx**

**xxxxx**

Mokuba grinned, TV remote in one hand and a handful of Doritos in the other. So far, things were looking promising. Seto had already been gone over an hour, and it only took 10 minutes to drive from the mansion to the restaurant. This meant that his brother at least hadn't stormed out of the place upon seeing that Anzu was his date...unless he had gone to the office or something...but Mokuba was pretty sure that wasn't the case. If Seto had left the restaurant, he probably would have come straight home to start exacting punishment.

Oh yes. Mokuba expected his plan to earn him some rather unpleasant repercussions. He was anticipating at least two or three weeks without video games, and had gone so far as to stash almost all of last month's allowance under his mattress just in case his brother's wrath was so severe as to turn...financial.

The young Kaiba was having trouble concentrating on the television. He was too curious about what was happening on Seto and Anzu's date. Hadn't he told Jean-Pierre to keep him updated? He hoped the Maitre d' hadn't become distracted by the assortment of French pastries and desserts. It happened to Mokuba often enough. More likely the restaurant was just busy. Or, his imagination suggested, Seto was so mad when he found out he was having dinner with Anzu that he'd locked Jean-Pierre in the walk in freezer. The messenger was sometimes the one that suffered most in these kinds of situations...

The phone rang, cutting off Mokuba's colorful contemplations.

"Jean-Pierre! _Finally._ What's happening? I want _all_ the details."

Mokuba listened intently as Jean-Pierre related the evenings events in his smooth French accent.

"...so he _didn't_ throw a complete fit?"

_'They both looked rather furious when they saw each other, but too many people were watching for Mr. Kaiba to cause a scene. Incidentally, I wish the young master had deigned to inform me that the two were previously...acquainted.'_

Mokuba snorted into the receiver, imagining what the scene must have been like from Jean-Pierre's perspective. Probably pretty scary. "Never mind that. It's all part of my plan. So what did they order?"

Jean-Pierre listed off their menu selections crisply, from Anzu's escargot all the way down to Seto's filet mignon au poivre with seasonal wild mushrooms and pearl onions. _'they are enjoying the house salad at present, along with some very fine Champagne.'_

Champagne, hmm? Maybe that will loosen them up. Mokuba waggled his eyebrows. "So Seto actually ordered oysters? You know what they say about those."

Actually, Mokuba wasn't _precisely_ sure what it was they said, but he was pretty sure it had something to do with the oysters helping you fall in love.

_'Indeed, Master Mokuba. But I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you. Marcel says that the atmosphere is still distinctly frosty.'_

"Things can change, Jean-Pierre. Try and make them stay for dessert, would you? There's a program I want to watch tonight and I'd like to see the whole thing before Seto grounds me for the rest of the summer."

_'I shall certainly do my best.'_

"I'll expect another update in an hour or so. Keep up the good work!"

Giggling somewhat maniacally, Mokuba deposited the portable receiver onto the coffee table and shifted into a more comfortable position on the leather couch, with the bag of Doritos in his lap.

Well, this was turning interesting. Anzu was already a pretty talkative type, and Mokuba was vaguely aware of the power of Champagne when it came to loosening tongues. Who knew what might come about if Anzu and his brother actually had a _conversation_?

**xxxxx**

**xxxxx**

Anzu wasn't entirely sure whether the slightly giddy feeling she'd developed over the past hour or so was because of the smiles from the cute French waiter, the delicate deliciousness of the escargot she had just eaten, or it it was mainly related to the glass and a half of champagne she had consumed. Regardless, she found herself in a surprisingly good mood. She hadn't enjoyed cuisine so much since her last stay at her cousin's apartment in Paris.

She was also fascinated, in a sense, by the seemingly pedestrian act of watching Seto Kaiba...well, _eat_. It was certainly something she had never contemplated before; and if she ever had wondered how the CEO sustained himself she probably would have had a vision of an endless string of coffee cups orbiting around his head. She had never expected to be sitting across from him in an unmistakably _romantic_ setting as he consumed oysters on the half shell with intense focus and practiced grace.

Speaking of Kaiba, he'd hardly spared her a word since she'd accidentally touched his leg with her foot. Maybe she shouldn't have responded so snappishly-- he was probably more used to eating alone, or with Mokuba. And it was rather unfair for her to admonish him for having long legs when she also had them herself...

Feeling restless, Anzu wondered what would happen if she tried to talk to Kaiba again. It would probably be at least another 20 minutes before the main courses arrived, and the Champagne was making her feel quite gregarious. Hmm...but what topic to choose? It would have to be something they had in common, and there weren't many (_any_, to be honest) that she could think of from the top of her head.

Unless...

She found herself blurting out the first question that came into her mind. "So, how did Mokuba con _you_ into going on a blind date?"

Kaiba glared at her. Anzu tilted her head to one side. Maybe she shouldn't have brought it up...but his reaction might've been the same no matter what she said, so she figured she might as well run with it.

"Sorry...it's just...well, it doesn't seem like the kind of thing you would want to do."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Kaiba reclined slightly in his chair. "You don't know anything about me, Mazaki. So how would you know what I might or might not 'want to do'?"

Anzu didn't have an answer, because he was right-- she _didn't_ know. She shrugged, picking up her Champagne glass. "There's no need to get bent out of shape about it, Kaiba. I was only curious."

She took a sip from her glass, resigning herself to probable silence for the rest of the evening. To her great surprise, however, the conversation continued.

"Well what about you, Mazaki? What reason would you have to go along with such an obviously juvenile plan? Desperate for a man, maybe?"

Anzu's jaw dropped. _What? She most certainly was not desperate!_ Eyes burning furiously, Anzu was about to tell Kaiba off, but it seemed he hadn't finished yet.

"Or maybe you just got dumped and you're hoping for some comfort on the rebound."

Anzu's scathing retort died in her throat, eyes clouding over as she took in Kaiba's self-satisfied smirk.

He didn't..._know_, did he? No. He couldn't. Why, _why _did he have to say that? She had forgotten, completely forgotten about what had happened with Otogi. Hadn't thought about it once all evening. But now--

"Excuse me," she almost whispered, rising up from the table and quickly walking away, not seeing how the grin quickly faded from Kaiba's face. A traitorous tear fell slowly from Anzu's eye as she reached the ladies' room, slipping quickly inside.

Back at the table, Anzu had left behind a very bewildered CEO. Kaiba had seen her rage ignite when he'd suggested that she might be desperate, and had thought his other 'guess' would just add fuel to the fire...but she had simply fizzled out. He frowned. There was no reasonable explanation for her uncharacteristic meekness, unless--

Seto groaned.

_Just great_, he thought. He rested his face briefly in his hands before waving an arm to signal Marcel. There were times when a man really needed a good sommelier.

If he was going to continue eating dinner with a heartbroken Mazaki-- who now probably thought he was amused by her misfortune-- he was going to need a few more drinks. What was that red wine that paired well with filet mignon again?

A sensation remarkably like guilt assaulted Seto as he looked at the empty seat across from him. How was _he_ supposed to know if she really _had_ been dumped? Maybe he should order her some more Champagne...

Seto snorted. Had hell finally frozen over? Who would have thought that this would be the day when he actually felt bad about something he'd said-- to _Anzu Mazaki_ of all people?

**XXXXXXXX**

**XXXXXXXX**

Hahaha oh my! This chapter took an unexpected turn at the end when I was writing it. I'd always intended for Seto to make some comment about Anzu getting dumped, but I hadn't planned for it to actually upset her. Oh well; us girls are a bit hard to forecast sometimes, as Seto seems to be finding out!

In case anyone is curious, here is a list of the food Seto and Anzu ordered for themselves. I looked at a lot of French restaurant menus online to find them tasty things to eat. Don't send reviews saying things like "Oh, one should never eat escargot and duck in the same meal...", or "Champagne is never served with the salad course!". I know a bit about food (like how tasty it is, and in some cases how to cook it), but I'm no regular client at fancy French restaurants. I like my Moules et Frites and Profiteroles au Chocolat just as much as the next person, but I like them _cheap_. Their desserts aren't listed here because they might actually turn into a plot element.

**Anzu:** Salad of Artichoke Hearts and Endives, Escargot in Garlic Parsley Sauce, and Roasted Duck Breast with a Raspberry Sage Glaze

**Seto: **Cold Herb and Tomato Soup, Salad of Artichoke Hearts and Endives, Oysters on the Half Shell with a Lemon and Shallot Mignonette, Filet Mignon au Poivre with Seasonal Wild Mushrooms and Pearl Onions (yes, he's hungry!)

The next chapter should be a good one. Not sure when you're going to see it, though, because I need to update **The Night Before** and I have another jaunt to Montreal coming up in the middle of next week. Hopefully it won't be too long, though.

Review and let me know how you like it!


	5. Main Course Mayhem

Hi guys! (waves)

This story wrote itself one lengthy update. We cover quite a bit of ground here, and if you were starting to get bored with the story dynamics you'll certainly have something different to keep your mind entertained by the end of the chapter (wink). But that would be telling, wouldn't it?

My one main concern about this chapter are the Otogi bits. Firstly, I wasn't sure whether Anzu should refer to him as 'Otogi' or if it would be more likely for her to call him 'Ryuuji' or whatever...in the end I just stuck with plain old 'Otogi', because I couldn't remember anyone calling him anything else anytime in the (limited though they are) subs I have where he appears. I was also a bit worried about whether he's in character or not, but frankly it doesn't seem _that_ important. If he doesn't seem quite right, wait until after chapter 6 before making any complaints, okay? I'm not that much of an Otogi expert, but I'm pretty sure I can work with what I know.

Right then, that'll be enough chatterboxing. One warning, though. This is the first chapter to anything that I've written since I quit smoking (that was on Saturday). If it seems a little whacked out, it's probably because of moodiness brought on by nicotine withdrawal (no wimpy patches for me!). Don't flame, because it will probably make me burst into tears. Hahaha!

**Blindsided**

**Chapter 5: Main Course Mayhem**

**oooo Flashback: Two Weeks Ago oooo**

"...and with summertime coming up so soon I thought maybe we could plan a trip. You know, go to the seaside for a weekend maybe? Otogi, are you listening?"

Anzu peered up at her boyfriend from her current position, comfortably reclined on the couch with her head against his chest. The two of them were relaxing at the moment; you could say they needed a rest after the intensity of the little make-out session they'd so recently been engaged in. Otogi was, quite plainly, spaced out. He was glancing past the softly murmuring television set, attention apparently fixed somewhere along the light green wall beyond.

"Hmm?"

Shifting her body to face his, Anzu hitched herself up so that she and Otogi were face to face. Seemingly, the way her chest was pressed against his finally commanded his attention. Aquamarine eyes snapped back to reality and a familiar lopsided grin appeared. "Sorry, what were you saying?"

She frowned.

Anzu had been dating Otogi for three months, ever since they'd ended up paired together for an Urban Sociology project at the City College. They had both received a b it of a shock when their little social exercise had suddenly turned into more of a...chemistry experiment.

They hadn't gotten the best grade on the project, exactly, but Anzu had figured the sacrifice was worth making in the face of the connection they'd formed.

The connection...

Well, to be honest, their _connection_ seemed to involve lips and hands and skin a _lot_ more than hearts or minds or anything of that nature. Anzu figured that was just how it was at the beginning of a relationship; it all started off with attraction, right? If the spark was there, the feelings would grow over time. Otogi had seemed a bit distracted lately, so maybe he was thinking about the same things? Maybe if they went away together for a weekend...?

Anzu sat back, smiling somewhat dangerously. "What I _said_ was that we should take a weekend sometime soon and go away. I was thinking if we--"

Otogi's hand had shot out, fingers pressing to her lips to silence her. "Anzu, I..." He sighed, averting his eyes. "I just don't think that's such a good idea. Look...I've been meaning to talk to you--"

Anzu's eyes widened. "Is something wrong?"

Nervously rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, Otogi cringed. "Umm, I guess you could say that."

He was silent for a few slow moments. Anzu's posture stiffened, heart rate speeding up. She was getting a bad vibe. Why did he look so...guilty? Her mind began to spin. Had she done or said something he hadn't liked? Maybe she was smothering him? She only wanted them to be closer. Or perhaps she wasn't affectionate _enough_ and he thought she didn't care--

His voice cut into her manic thoughts, stemming the flow of irrational insecurities which, as it turned out, didn't have much relevance at all. "I'll just be honest with you. It's...Shizuka."

Fine brown eyebrows knit in confusion. "S--shizuka? What about her? Jounouchi says she got back from her trip a little over a week ago. I haven't seen her yet, but--"

Anzu froze, reading all the details she needed from Otogi's countenance. His face was plainly saying one thing: _You haven't seen her yet, but I have._

Slouching, she dropped her eyes from his. "Oh."

Now that Otogi had begun his confession, the words seemed eager to flow forth. He knelt directly in front of Anzu, taking her hands into his. He didn't seem the least bit apologetic. "I mean, you and I both knew this wasn't going to lead anywhere. Sure, it might've been fun for awhile, but in the long run we're just a mismatch."

Anzu's mind was reeling. So _this_ was how he felt about her? She was a _bit of fun_?

"I don't know if Shizuka will ever want to be with me, but as soon as I saw her again I knew I had to try. You...well, you understand don't you?" He peered at her expectantly.

Anzu's eyes drifted from Otogi's face to the space beyond the television where his eyes had been fixed before. Occupying that part of the wall, she noticed, was a photograph of herself, Mai, and Shizuka dressed up for a party last year.

And it hadn't been her he was staring at. It _never had been_.

"Anzu? We'll still be friends, okay?"

_Friends? _Her eyes narrowed. Now that she thought about it, they had hardly been friends in the first place!

Anzu's mind felt blank and somewhat sluggish. She knew there were a bunch of things she should be saying, but the words she needed wouldn't arrange themselves into coherent sentences. "I...you're breaking up with me?"

Otogi gave a small nod, frowning in apparent confusion as Anzu jumped up from the couch.

He was breaking up with her after three months, for a girl he wasn't even sure he had a chance with? Anzu held back her tears as she brushed past Otogi, stalking into her bedroom and slamming the door behind her. Not caring at the moment what the man in her living room thought or did, she flopped onto her bed and buried her face in the pillows.

What was _wrong_ with her? She seemed to positively _repel_ men. The moment she started to care about someone, something like _this_ would happen. It had been the same way with Yugi's darker half, but at least he'd had a _reason_...at least she had been able to understand.

But Otogi...he had never even cared about her at all! She had given him her attention and her affection so willingly, thinking that since they were friends he would surely never play games with her feelings like he was rumored to have done with other girls...

But she _was_ just another one of those 'other girls'. And games were apparently what Otogi wanted. He was happier competing for Shizuka's heart than he ever could be with the uncomplicated warmth Anzu had to offer.

_Looks like I'm not enough of a challenge, _she thought. She couldn't bring herself to be mad (not just yet anyway), or to stop herself from crying over something she now secretly knew just hadn't been worth it.

**oooo End Flashback oooo**

Drying her water-splashed face with a mercifully soft paper towel, Anzu was more thankful than ever that she'd been born with such long, full eyelashes. It avoided the stereotypical running mascara mess, and made it a lot easier for her to fix herself back up.

Eyeing herself in the washroom mirror, Anzu remembered those feelings she'd been left with after her encounter with Otogi. She recalled how she had struggled and fought with herself. One minute she would feel disappointed, like she wasn't pretty enough or fun enough or special enough to hold Otogi's attention. The next, she would be furious with him for stringing her along, using her as a mindless distraction, and dumping her with such a complete lack of consideration.

Blue eyes studied their own reflected image, hardening with newfound determination. _Mokuba is right, _she thought to herself, _Otogi doesn't deserve me!_

Putting the last fixes on her subtle makeup, Anzu came to a decision. She wasn't going to let one bad memory ruin her night. She, Anzu Mazaki, would show the world that if she went out on a date with a good-looking guy she would damn well enjoy it. Even if the handsome devil _was _Kaiba.

Whoa whoa _whoa--_

Handsome...Kaiba?

A barely noticeable blush spread over Anzu's face. Well, yes. He was an attractive guy. No use denying it, was there? The fact that he was a coldhearted jerk was just a minor detail (sarcasm anyone?).

She couldn't be mad at Kaiba, though, for what he had said. He'd only been trying to make her angry, which was more or less par for the course over the history of their interaction. He was just...being his somewhat nasty self. In a way, it was almost reassuring. Now that she'd had her little meltdown, Anzu was almost certain she wouldn't have been able to handle it if Mokuba had set her up on a _real_ date.

There was something easy and comfortable about swapping insults with Kaiba. He wasn't friendly, goodness no, but she also didn't have to worry about any phony behavior on his part. She could just be herself and not bother about pleasing or impressing anyone else.

Anzu smiled as she pushed open the door to the ladies' washroom.

_And there's certainly nothing wrong with that._

**xxxxx**

**xxxxx**

Meanwhile, back at the table, Seto Kaiba was experiencing some problems of his own.

At present, he was propping his head up with one hand, dark cobalt eyes shut tightly as he wondered whether he was wearing some sort of metaphorical **KICK ME** sign on his back.

Let's review, shall we?

First, his brother had the _nerve_ to set him up on a date with a friend of his worst enemy.

Then, he had managed to upset her so badly that she'd hurried off to the ladies' room, presumably crying over a recently broken heart.

Which brings us up to now, right? He _wished_.

...the _creature_ beside him twittered. Oh, had he forgotten to mention the supposedly high class hooker-in-disguise who had invaded his personal space almost as soon as Anzu had disappeared from sight?

Seto opened one eye just a fraction, disappointed to find that the thirty-something woman with her overdone makeup and curly black hair was still hovering by his shoulder. The low cut red dress revealed a generous portion of flesh as the woman leaned in to speak.

"So that girl...she's your date? Personally I think you can do better. It takes a _real_ woman to handle a man like you."

Seto rolled his eyes, remembering how this very same _woman_ had dropped her fork like a babbling three year old the moment she'd seen him walk into the room. "I don't think I want anyone _handling_ me if it's all the same to you." The glare he used then was usually enough to frighten off the most ruthless executives and corporate lawyer types. She, however, simply smiled _more slyly_.

There was something about these women that Seto simply didn't understand. They were either extremely determined or very, _very_ stupid.

"I bet you'll change your mind once we spend a little time _alone_ together." She winked suggestively, licking her lips.

Seto was taking his time to carefully formulate the nastiest possible response when he noticed Anzu approaching from the other side of the room. A surprising feeling overtook him then. It was _relief_.

He hated to admit it, but with such an obvious example of the possible alternatives practically blowing in his ear he was left with little choice.

Dinner with Mazaki, it turned out, actually _wasn't that bad_.

Snapping around to view his unwelcome admirer, Seto bit out a phrase that couldn't possibly be mistaken for anything but a command. "I believe you were just leaving."

The woman's face twisted into a startled pout as Seto rose from his seat to pull out Anzu's chair (gentleman that he is). Anzu's expression was curious, eyes twinkling with mirth as they danced between Seto and the retreating visitor.

She was laughing at him, he realized. Because she knew _exactly_ what had just transpired. _Hn_, he said to himself, _she wouldn't think it was so funny if it happened to her every time she went outside._

Nevertheless, Seto relaxed back into his seat, so glad to be rid of the interloper that he didn't even _care_ about the stupid, mocking smile on the face of the young woman across from him. _It's only one dinner, _he reminded himself, _and in the grand scheme of things it's starting to look like I got off pretty easy._

**xxxxx**

**xxxxx**

The silence was not unpleasant.

They had been spared the trouble of really acknowledging each other upon Anzu's return to the table thanks to the arrival of the main course. As waiters bustled busily and Jean-Pierre fussed over both of them, glances _had_ been exchanged, but none of any particular...significance.

As the two of them dug into the food-- politely, but with enthusiasm-- the air gradually began to feel somewhat heavy. Surely it's happened to all of us; the weight of unspoken words in the atmosphere gives the space between you an almost cloying warmth, inducing the urge to fan oneself with a hand or pull with futility at a shirt collar.

Anzu, for one, was doing her level best to make light of the tiny little twinge of jealousy she'd experienced upon seeing that attractive woman practically molesting Kaiba at their table. She'd pared it down, after some effort, to simple girlish territoriality. He was supposed to be _her_ date, after all!

The silence had to end eventually.

In this case, oddly enough, it was Seto who finally broke it. Okay, so he still felt a little guilty about making her cry. But more than anything else he was curious. Curious about--

"So someone really _did_ dump you, Mazaki?"

He'd used one of his friendlier tones of voice, but the question still came out sounding a bit...condescending. Perhaps she understood his intention, though. She merely giggled.

"That's right, Kaiba. Hard to imagine why, isn't it?" She rolled her eyes, but did so with a smile on her face.

"Hn. No comment. So who was the guy?"

The question gave Anzu a moment of pause. Did she really want to get into a discussion about Otogi-- with _Seto Kaiba_ of all people? She sighed, putting down her fork. _Well, why not? I mean, really, could this evening get any weirder?_

"It was...Ryuuji Otogi."

Kaiba looked somewhat confused, as though he knew the name but couldn't quite place the face. Anzu decided to give him a couple helpful hints. "You know; funny hair, red headband, bad attitude?"

Leaning slightly backward in his chair, Kaiba didn't even try to hide his expression of distaste. "That dweeb with the dice?"

Anzu nodded, trying not to enjoy Kaiba's insulting assessment of her ex-boyfriend.

"Why in hell would you ever date him in the first place? You're way out of his league, Mazaki."

Anzu blushed.

"...not like _that's_ saying very much."

Anzu glared.

"You don't need to look at me like that. The guy is a _loser_. And you say he broke up with _you?_" Seto snorted.

Anzu wasn't quite sure wither she should be mad or if she should just laugh. Good god, Kaiba was all but flat out insulting her-- so why was it making her feel so much _better_?

"You should consider yourself lucky, Mazaki."

This time she _did_ laugh. Seto looked up from his filet mignon, wondering what was so funny. "You know something Kaiba? I knew there was something I liked about you."

He narrowed his eyes. "Oh really? Please, enlighten me."

She leaned over, propping her elbows on the table in a technically impolite way. "You're the first person that hasn't said 'I'm sorry'."

Seto shrugged in response. "I'm not exactly famous for being thoughtful and sympathetic."

"You don't say." Anzu hid her smile quite effectively by taking a sip of champagne. "Anyway, that's basically how I ended up here. Mokuba absolutely _insisted_ that it would cheer me up."

Tossing a strand of hair away from her face, Anzu waited for a response. None was immediately forthcoming, and the hole of silence indicated that Kaiba knew she was expecting him to speak and was deliberately ignoring this fact. After almost a minute, she realized she had been staring. Noticing things about him. Like the way his hair fell across his eyes, the precise manner in which he cut his meat, the unintended sensuality of the way the fork slid out from between his lips after carrying food to his mouth--

Whoa. _Admire, don't ogle. You don't want to go there_. Anzu cleared her throat, hoping Kaiba hadn't noticed her _staring at his mouth_.

"So what about you, Kaiba?"

"What _about_ me, Mazaki?"

She raised an eyebrow, aware that he was being evasive. Well, he wasn't the only one that could play the straightforward card...

"Why did you let Mokuba set you up on a date?"

Seto mentally cringed. The conversation actually hadn't been horrible, but he'd hoped she would have tired of it by now. He should have known better. Although, perhaps some innocuous small talk would be less uncomfortable than having her _stare_ at him...what had she been _looking at, _anyway?

It just had to be that question, too. The one he didn't have an answer for.

Well, he wasn't Seto Kaiba for nothing. He would just make something up. "Mokuba tricked me."

"_Tricked_ you? What do you mean?"

Seto exhaled slowly. This would probably come off as a pretty convincing lie, considering it actually had some limited basis in reality. "He kept...suggesting that due to my lack of female companionship, the public at large believe me to be...homosexual. In order to shut him up, I unwittingly agreed to participate in this...ridiculous _scam_ he cooked up."

A bright sound erupted from Anzu's side of the table. Seto found himself enveloped in the alarmingly pleasant blanket of her pure amusement. Blue eyes twinkled at him. Perfectly straight white teeth gleamed out from between glossy lips as she _giggled happily_. At something _he'd_ said. Seto's attention diverted, almost as a matter of self-preservation, to the half empty wine bottle on the table next to his elbow. He was grasping for some excuse, _any_ excuse, as to why he felt himself _enjoying the sound of her laughter_.

"You, _gay_?" She giggled some more. "Oh, that's just ridiculous!" Her face was flushed pink as she smiled widely at him. Seto felt his own traitorous face heating up in response.

_It must be the wine, _he reasoned. He pointedly ignored the way Anzu's bottom lip quirked and her chest quaked as she choked back another laugh. _Definitely the wine._

**xxxxx**

**xxxxx**

"Will it please you to enjoy dessert this evening?"

Jean-Pierre was viewing them expectantly, hands clutched in front of him and an eager expression on his face. Seto and Anzu exchanged a glance. Frankly, they were both _stuffed_, and anyone with half a brain could see that this so-called _date_ had already gone on far too long.

"No thank you..." They both made gestures, Anzu indicating that she was far too full for dessert, Seto using the internationally accepted gesture for 'bring me the bill'.

Jean-Pierre smiled ever so devilishly. "But surely, Mister Kaiba would not refuse his _favorite chocolate dessert_?"

Seto froze, hand still in the mid-air faux bill signing position. His eyes appeared to glaze over just slightly as his arm fell limply to his side. "Bring two. And coffee."

Anzu raised an eyebrow. "If we're having dessert I think I can order for myself, thank you."

She nearly jumped at the fierce glint in Kaiba's eye as he turned to face her. "Are you questioning my judgment?"

Jean pierre looked on curiously as a teasing smile graced Anzu's lips. "Why would I ever trust someone with such a sour personality to order me a sweet dessert?"

Seto crossed his arms over his chest, smirking. Without breaking eye contact with Anzu, he began to speak. "Jean-Pierre?"

"Yes, Mister Kaiba?"

"Tell her about the dessert."

Needless to say, by the time Jean-Pierre had finished describing the extravagant chocolate dessert, Anzu was forced to eat her words. Looking almost as shell-shocked as Kaiba had when the Maitre d' first mentioned it, she quickly gave her assent and ordered the dessert. "Yeah. I think I'll have that."

Seto chuckled at her dumbfounded expression, in no way indicating that he might feel embarrassed to have a weakness for decadent chocolate desserts.

The two of them glanced at each other in a surprisingly good-natured way as Jean-Pierre scurried away to inform the kitchen of their decision. They were both thinking that the night hadn't been that bad, really. Certainly not the potential disaster either of them had envisioned--

Not, at least, until the following moment, when Anzu's attention shifted to the restaurant entrance. Seto followed her line of sight, wondering why she looked so suddenly sobered.

It was probably something to do with the fact that Otogi was standing in the foyer with a trashy looking blonde girl clinging to his arm.

**XXXXXXXX**

**XXXXXXXX**

Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuun. Little bit of a cliffhanger, I guess! Feh, I'm not so sure how satisfied I am with the entirety of this chapter. It had good bits, but in places it kind of felt like Seto was too...nice. (shrugs) Not to worry, I guess. There's plenty of time left for him to be mean (to various people) in later chapters. Also hope this isn't full of errors. I'm too damn tired at the end of typing it to really go back and proof it. Zzzz!

Speaking of later chapters, number 6 should certainly be exciting. What will Anzu do? What will Seto do? Perhaps he'll help her through what could easily be a very awkward situation? Hmm, I wonder. And to think, dessert hasn't even arrived yet! Hopefully we'll catch up with Mokuba, too. Hope he's enjoying his last hours of freedom!

A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter 4. I'm frankly astounded; almost 35 people reviewed! I never thought this story would generate that much interest. Much gratitude to the following: **aphrael21, LivingArrow, xx Painful Bliss xx, suzieq2005, MSparrow29, Gauri92, DeepCerulean, LuvinAniManga, BradyBunch4529, Lathayan, blawblawblaw, Blue Rhaphsody3, Hedwig-the-MillenniumOwl, **abbu jabbu, **JewelQueen, krystalmaze, Kagome1316, fightingcomet, PretJb4eva, Kyoko Blue, Starian Princess, LadieAnimeFreek, Arrna, Shipperness, **michelle, **Kiyomi Kaiba, darkangelwp05, IluvsBakura, KeikoGurl, mandybelle, Aspen XIII, WingedWisdom, Zakurrah-chan, **and **Ambiance-dream. **

Thanks also to anyone I talked with about this story who didn't actually review. I'm sure there are two or three of you guys out there. I should start writing this stuff down so I can give credit where it's due!


	6. Table for Four?

Hey everybody!

I must say, I had no idea it had been such a long time since I updated this. 2005? I feel terrible! I've got the writing bug right now, so hopefully a few of my stories will get added to. Life has changed a lot over the past year, and I guess the time kind of got away from me. I never did abandon any of my stories, though, and I hope none of you thought I was gone for good!

This chapter wrote itself pretty easily, although the plot didn't move along as far as I had originally planned. Oh well- at least all the pieces have been moved into place. I'm just glad to have picked back up with this story again. I hope everyone who reviewed will come back and read it!

For anyone who doesn't remember, Otogi had just shown up at the restaurant in chapter 5. Quite a shame, really, since Seto and Anzu had both decided they weren't having such a bad night after all! I have a feeling this wasn't part of Mokuba's plan...

**Blindsided**

**Chapter 6: Table for four?**

Mokuba Kaiba tapped his fingers impatiently on the coffee table, waiting for Jean-Pierre to call him back. It had been nearly an hour since his previous update, and the dark haired boy was getting worried. He furrowed his eyebrows in contemplation. What if there was something wrong with the dessert? Seto was very particular about chocolate... but no. That couldn't be it; the pastry staff at the restaurant was second to none. Perhaps Anzu simply hadn't liked it? _What's not to like?_ Mokuba drooled, imagining the dense, fudge-filled cake, the chocolate ganache, the fresh raspberry sauce...

The ringing telephone snapped Mokuba out of his sugar coma. Grabbing it off the arm of the couch before the second ring, he answered. "Jean-Pierre? is that you?!"

The voice on the other end of the line was reassuringly snooty. _"indeed, Master Mokuba."_

A pair of wide steel blue eyes danced in anticipation. "So? What's the verdict on dessert? Are they both floating on a cloud of chocolatey happiness? Dazed grins on their faces? Do you think they'll go on another date? Are they-"

_"Ahem, please, young sir. I have not yet been able to serve the desserts."_

"You _what?_" A familiar hard edge crept into Mokuba's voice, causing Jean-Pierre to inadvertently pull at his collar as if it needed loosening. "Haven't _served_ them yet? Well what are you waiting for?!" Mokuba could hear the clatter of pots and pans in the background, as well as some of the french curse-words Marcel had taught him last time he and Seto ate at the restaurant. He assumed Jean-Pierre must be calling from the kitchen.

"_Some guests have arrived at the table. I did not feel it would be appropriate to serve dessert while they are present."_

Mokuba's grip on the portable phone tightened. "Guests? What _kind_ of guests?"

Jean-Pierre snorted disapprovingly. _"A gentleman with unusual hair and a... red bandana, it seems. Accompanied by a blonde mademoiselle." _ Jean-Pierre chewed the words 'red bandana' like an unfamiliar and slightly disgusting food, making a mental note to review the restaurant's code of appropriate attire. Surely, such a thing was not to be permitted-

"What?!" Mokuba shattered the Maitre'd's disdainful reverie, sounding as if he were about to squeeze himself through the phone line by sheer force of will. "Oh NO. Jean-Pierre, you've got to do something. This could ruin _everything_!" Mokuba dimly wondered who the blonde could be. Didn't Jounouchi's sister have reddish hair?

_It appears that Mister Kaiba has invited them to remain at the table..."_

_And everything had been going _so_ well! _Mokuba looked around in a panic, not knowing where to focus his energy or how to stop Otogi from ruining his perfect plan. Honestly, what were the odds of this? Maybe if he lived through this night, he would feed the appropriate data into the Kaiba Corp supercomputer. The word 'astronomical' would probably explain it, though.

_What to do, what to do..._ There was nothing he could do while he was stuck here...

...Bingo!

The boy's eyes fixed on his brother's limo, parked out in front of the mansion. Mokuba immediately began to tie his running shoes, cradling the receiver between his head and shoulder. "Jean-Pierre? I'll be there in ten minutes. Don't do _anything_ until I've arrived. Expect me at the back kitchen entrance." Without another word, the younger Kaiba hung up the phone and tossed it into a nearby armchair.

Who said he had to be stuck here? A Kaiba always had ways. One of those ways just happened to involve a very convenient limousine. Mokuba ran down the hallway in a blur of dark hair, blue jeans, and mayhem, shouting for his brother's driver. The boy wasn't about to let this date be a failure. His brother's happiness, and Anzu's, might depend on it- not to mention his own.

Mokuba cringed, imagining a month without cookies or TV. At least if he saved the day maybe Seto would go a little easier on the punishment... he sighed heavily, clambering into the back of the limo. Who needed an allowance anyway?

**xxxxxxxx**

It was him. What, _what_ was he doing here? And who...

Anzu's heart pounded in her chest as she took in the girl on her ex-boyfriend's arm. Tall, blonde, gorgeous. Black dress, full red lips, and most definitely _not_ Shizuka. Otogi appeared rather bored as the girl leaned over to whisper something in his ear, giving a non-committal response to whatever she said. Whatever it was obviously amused her, as she giggled openly, revealing a row of straight white teeth.

Mind racing in countless directions, the blue-eyed girl tried to stop the feelings of sadness and resentment from surfacing once again. She focused on the words Seto had spoken earlier, reminding herself that she was too good for him, that he wasn't worth it, that she was better off without him...

All of it made sense, which only increased the anger Anzu felt at herself for feeling this way anyway. Avoiding Kaiba's glance, she looked down at the crisp white tablecloth. The pain was something she could practically taste, and the words from that day still burned like hot coals inside her ears. _Fun while it lasted... Wasn't going to lead anywhere... Can't we just be friends?_

Damn him! Damn him for making her feel this way, for breaking up with her, and most of all for being _here _with that girl- whoever she was- and ruining the lovely evening she had been having with Seto Kaiba-

Anzu jerked upright, comprehending the thought that had just rolled its way across her awareness. Surprisingly, she felt no impulse to run from it or try to suppress it. Glancing over at Kaiba, she saw that he had followed her line of vision and was currently viewing Otogi and his date with narrowed eyes. Indeed, she, Anzu Mazaki, had been greatly enjoying her 'date' with Kaiba. She couldn't let Otogi ruin this. Maybe she could just ignore him completely, and it would be like he wasn't there. Yes. She resolved to do just that, fixing her glossy pink lips into a forced smile.

The couple began to approach, being evidently being led past their corner table and ultimately toward an adjoining dining room. Anzu knew Otogi had seen her, but he appeared to have no intention of acknowledging it. The blonde, on the other hand, seemed to be looking right at her. Up close the tan looked fake, and Anzu could see that the girl had been a little heavy-handed with the mascara.

Holding onto Otogi's arm quite theatrically, she leaned over to him and pretended to speak quietly. "That's _her_? She isn't how you described her at all." The girl was shouting her whispers the way a drunk person does, except that she obviously meant to be overheard. Otogi rolled his eyes, mumbling something out of the side of his mouth. "OH! She's the one you _dumped_? Hmph. She looks prettier than you said."

Anzu felt sure she was going to throw up, not knowing whether she was more disgusted with Otogi for being quite obviously more of a jerk than she had ever realized or with herself for caring about what his date said. Biting her lip, Anzu waited for the two to pass out of sight so that she could burst into tears with at least _some_ dignity left over to wipe them away with.

Just as a cold dose of relief began to tingle its way down Anzu's limbs, she heard a disturbing and most certainly unwelcome sound emitting from across the table. Surely, anyone who wasn't a complete idiot would have heard the venom in Seto Kaiba's voice as he attempted to sound _pleasantly surprised_.

"Otogi? _Ryuji_ Otogi?"

Otogi jumped, doing a double take. Anzu realized that he must not have noticed who her dining companion was, and at this point he had lost his chance to run. "K-Kaiba! What a nice surprise." He had really tried to sound like he meant it. Anzu was familiar with his tone of false sincerity by now. He seemed unable or unwilling to meet her eyes. "Umm...Anzu..."

The feral grin on Seto's face seemed to indicate that he probably had _more_ unwelcome surprises in store for Otogi. "Why don't you join us? I have some business I'd like to discuss."

Anzu sat ramrod straight as several waiters flitted to and fro, making arrangements to accommodate Otogi and his date. Plates were swapped out, flowers were fluffed. Chairs, glassware, and candles were added. _Could hell possibly compare to this?_ She wasn't presently sure which person at this table she loathed more.

Her eyes shone silvery blue in the candlelight as she glanced back and forth between Otogi and Seto Kaiba. The CEO pinned her with his sharp midnight eyes, quirking a perfect eyebrow in a manner eerily similar to a _wink_.

Anzu turned red, feeling a mixture of anger and astonishment. This night had certainly taken a turn for the worst. No, she wasn't sure which of these men she hated more; but glaring across the table at the one who had put her in this undeniably awkward situation, Anzu could safely say that at the moment Seto Kaiba- who appeared to be _enjoying himself immensely_- was most definitely in the lead.

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

Phew. I told you nothing much really happened here, but the set-up was quite necessary. What on earth was Seto thinking? Probably that he couldn't pass up the opportunity to torment Otogi. Surely, it couldn't have anything to do with wanting to get one back for Anzu...right?

Reviews are appreciated as always, maybe even more so since I've been away for so long. Now that I've updated one of my fics, I'm off to check out what I've been missing since the last time I browsed stories from this pairing! Hopefully I've got enough inspiration to update **The Night Before** next... : )


	7. Between Courses

Okay! So I'm kind of on a roll with updating. Let's cross our fingers and hope this state of affairs can continue for awhile. I can tell you one thing, all this typing is making my fingers hurt! This story hasn't been added to in a long time, but I never intended to leave it unfinished. There's probably only about 2 chapters left after this one. I hope there's still an audience out there hoping to find out what happens! ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh or any of that stuff.

**Blindsided**

**Chapter 7: Between Courses (aka Cleansing the Palate) **

Seto surveyed the company he now found himself in with great interest. He was pleased to find that Mazaki, seated on his right, was holding up well. She looked far more angry than anything else, which was what he had hoped for. He had been somewhat concerned that inviting Otogi and his date to join them might cause a repeat of her brief emotional meltdown earlier in the meal, but she seemed to have replaced any remaining sadness with what looked like rather furious righteous indignation.

He smirked as he watched her bright blue eyes smolder like white-hot coals, wondering whether she was angry at Otogi or if her displeasure was directed at him.

On his other side, Otogi's short-skirted and overpainted date, who turned out to be named Roxy, was pouting her lips in a way that she probably thought was alluring. Seto often wondered why women thought it was becoming to look bored, and to act like nothing really interested them apart from sex. He received a lot of these simpering looks, often accompanied by enough batted eyelashes to nullify a dust storm. Otogi's date looked well practiced in this skill set, even going to far as to surreptitiously wiggle in her chair so that her skirt hiked up even higher. She leaned forward, helping herself to a glass of the champagne that had just arrived. "Otogi, I didn't realize you knew somebody as famous as Seto Kaiba. Why didn't you ever tell me?"

Otogi frowned over at her, in no way failing to notice how she was flirting with Kaiba. "I guess it never came up."

Regarding the dark haired man across the table, Seto wondered what could have possibly been going through his mind that would make him prefer a money-grubbing twit like this girl over someone like Anzu, who was beautiful _and_ actually had half a brain. Wait. _Beautiful…_?

Seto regarded the girl sitting next to him once again. Yes, he had to admit it. She _was_ beautiful. Especially in moments like this, where she was trying to control her emotions. The contrast between her dark hair and pale skin was a warm fusion in the candlelight, her form accented by her slightly nervous posture. Her cheeks were flushed pink from a combination of sentiment and alcohol, and the way she was biting her lip almost made Seto want to reach over and-

Hn. That gave him a very devious idea.

Trying to make the gesture look as natural as possible, Seto slowly reached his arm out and draped it casually but snugly across the back of Anzu's chair.

Bingo. There was just the slightest flaring of Otogi's nostrils, a barely noticeable narrowing of his eyes. He'd known the man across from him to be a controlling type in business, so why not in his personal life? His calculations had also been correct in that Otogi still seemed to view Anzu as one of his possessions regardless of the fact that he'd cast her aside. Seto was willing to help the girl by clearing up any misapprehensions Otogi might be harboring on that score. There were many good reasons to make the man squirm- Kaiba told himself that at least the vast majority of them were business related, and any side effect that was beneficial to Mazaki was just a pleasant coincidence.

Next to him, Anzu's pose had progressed from 'nervous' to 'alarmed', though she was doing a fair job of hiding it. Her back was ramrod straight as she looked at Kaiba out of the corner of her eye. What the hell did he think he was doing, invading her personal space and putting his arm around her like they were lovers or something, or like they were on a…

…date.

Hmm…

Anzu stole a glance at Otogi, who looked thunderous. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the satisfied smirk on Seto Kaiba's face as he sat there, relaxed as can be, arm encircling her like they were on intimate terms. Seto looked back at her, raising an eyebrow just slightly and looking back to Otogi. Just what kind of game was he playing, anyway? Just as she got used to the idea of Kaiba's arm around her and began to feel more relaxed, she nearly jumped out of her seat at the feeling of his fingers brushing lightly across the bare skin of her shoulder. Blushing to the very tips of her toes, Anzu tried her best not to lose her composure as he traced lazy circles on her skin.

"So tell me, Otogi. How's business? I hear you've been having some cash flow problems lately." There was something dangerous about the flippantly conversational way Kaiba tossed this information about, as though he were talking about the weather.

Otogi was silent for a moment, not sure whether he was more astonished by the cozy scene before him or by the bluntness of Kaiba's remarks. He frowned, quite sure he was being insulted. "_Well_, I-"

Kaiba wasn't done with his enquiries. "I heard you had to sell off several of your commercial properties. What's the matter, is the novelty wearing off? I always said that Dungeon Dice fad wouldn't last…"

The atmosphere was distinctly chilly as the two men stared each other down. Anzu and Roxy tried not to look directly at either of their dates, as this was obviously some kind of masculine pissing contest that only vaguely involved them. They tried not to look at each other, either, since every time their eyes met Anzu could feel Roxy glaring at her as she took in Kaiba's affectionate behavior toward her. The only person at the table who was having any fun at all just then was Seto Kaiba. It was all going according to his hastily assembled plan…

**xxxxxx**

In the kitchen, a clattering of pots and pans and a succession of curse words in French could be heard as a diminutive figure burst through the delivery entrance, down the line of white-clad cooks, and through the swinging door. At the Maitre d' station, Jean-Pierre was scribbling some quick reservation notes in his neat and compact handwriting. The hurrying figure skidded to a halt beside him, peeking over the podium and trying to see into the dimly lit dining room. "Jean Pierre, what's going on!? Is Otogi really at my brother's table?"

Jean-Pierre cleared his throat. "Good evening, Master Mokuba. Indeed, your brother and his date have been joined by another young man and his, ahem, escort." The maitre d' sighed, seeing the fierce expression on the younger Kaiba's face. The exact reason why he had allowed himself to get involved in the schemes of such a young rascal was something of a mystery, but much like with his older brother it was difficult to say no to Mokuba Kaiba.

"This sucks! He better not say anything to make Anzu unhappy." Mokuba crept slowly to the edge of the dining room, concealing himself by the edge of the entryway. What he saw there made his eyes go wider than was usual, and after all the sugar he'd ingested tonight that was saying something. "Psssst! Jean-Pierre! Look at this! Seto's got his arm around her. I knew those oysters would work!"

Rolling his eyes discreetly, Jean-Pierre glanced over at the table. "It _would_ seem that matters have improved somewhat."

Mokuba smirked. "Awesome. I knew we could get them to like each other if we just tried. If only there was a way for me to get closer so I could hear the conversation…aha!" The boy's eyes had settled upon a rectangular dining trolley. It had a top shelf and a bottom shelf, with just enough room in between for a small person- like himself- to fit. Slowly, he turned his head and looked slyly at Jean-Pierre.

The maitre d' pulled at his collar nervously, wishing this night would end. "Yes, Master Mokuba? What precisely did you have in mind?"

**xxxxxx**

Otogi was steaming. Fuming. What was the one that was even worse than fuming? Oh, right. Enraged.

He hadn't been expecting anything like this to happen when he brought Roxy out to dinner. Maybe this was karma getting back at him because he hadn't really _wanted_ to bring her out to dinner in the first place- until he found out how rich her father was. He wasn't going to admit it to anyone, but he _was_ having financial problems with his business venture. He had met the girl recently, at a club frequented by many of the City College students. Her interest in him had appeared to be largely of a sexual nature, but he figured it might at least be an in with the right circle of (wealthy) acquaintances. Now he was stuck sitting here being insulted by Seto Kaiba of all people and, if that wasn't already bad enough, Roxy now appeared to be more interested in Kaiba than she was in him!

And then there was Anzu. Oh, was there ever Anzu. She was looking so gorgeous tonight; why hadn't he ever seen her look like this when they were dating? Not that it changed anything as far as their breakup, but Otogi couldn't help but feel the pull of the green-eyed monster as he watched the girl that used to be his being practically _caressed_ by Kaiba. His arm was around her, long fingers lightly touching her shoulder. They were obviously here on a date, and looked like they were getting along just fine. Hadn't Anzu always _hated_ the guy? He felt a hole being punched in his masculine pride. She certainly hadn't wasted much time being upset about their breakup, had she? It was scarcely two weeks ago.

He was the one who had chosen to end the relationship, so shouldn't _he_ be the one that was happy and getting along just fine? He wished. It was true what he had told Anzu about his feelings for Shizuka. He had thought he was doing the honorable thing by ending it, it wouldn't be right to string Anzu along when he longed to be with someone else. Unfortunately when he went to tell Shizuka how he felt things hadn't exactly gone as planned. He hadn't factored in Hiroto Honda, for one. That had apparently been going on for awhile. The two had been corresponding while Shizuka was away in Europe, and started dating almost as soon as she returned. So now here he was, the odd man out. Shizuka had Honda, Jounouchi had Mai, Yugi had been dating the Hopkins girl for awhile, and Anzu- who had until recently been _his_ Anzu- apparently had _Kaiba._

Which left him with…

He looked across the table at his date, eyeing Seto Kaiba like a feral cat ready to pounce.

…well, apparently it left him with _nobody_.

Could this night possibly get any worse?

**xxxxxx**

Anzu could feel the magnitude of the awkwardness around the table, and wished for something to distract or occupy her in this uncomfortable pause between courses. Otogi had deflected Seto's taunting remarks with surprising grace, skirting around the edge of more pedestrian business matters. Nobody really seemed sure what to do; the waitstaff certainly didn't know how to proceed seeing as half the table had already eaten dinner and the others had yet to order. Was there even proper protocol for such a thing? Jean-Pierre seemed to have figured out a way to rectify the situation, pushing a cart full of hors d'oeuvres, small desserts, and a silver coffee service over and leaving it next to the table. "For your enjoyment, compliments of the chef."

"Thank you, Jean-Pierre." Everyone was too involved in the drama happening at the table to bother thinking about the fact that simply leaving a cart of miscellaneous food by the table was a very odd thing for a classically trained French Maitre d' to do.

Otogi had been about to break the silence by suggesting that he and Roxy wouldn't want to intrude any further and perhaps they should just move to their own table, but his date beat him to the chase with a line of questioning which certainly wasn't helpful in diffusing the tension. "So," she gestured to Seto and Anzu, "are you guys, like, a couple? I thought Otogi just broke up with you a few days ago or something." Roxy openly sneered at Anzu. The alcohol had given her voice a harsh and brassy tone, not that she had been the queen of charm to begin with.

Anzu's face turned cherry red. Just what she had wanted to be reminded of. Couldn't ten minutes go by without someone making disparaging remarks about her love life? "Umm-"

A voice to her left cut in, steady and deep. "Actually, Anzu and I have been seeing each other off and on for quite some time." Seto smirked devilishly, taking his arm off the back of the chair and reaching over to grasp one of her small hands in his own.

Otogi's eyes widened. Anzu's jaw dropped. Roxy just looked disappointed. Unnoticed by anyone at the table, the food cart made a choking noise.

The young man with the red bandana looked at his ex-girlfriend with a wounded expression "Anzu, is that true?"

Anzu coughed on the sip of water she had been hastily drinking. "Umm…I don't- I mean-"

Seto fixed her with a searing look, quelling her stuttering attempts with a very good facsimile of a passionate gaze. "It's alright Anzu. I don't think we should have to keep it a secret anymore." Looking over at Otogi's expression, Seto knew that victory was at hand. The guy looked dumbfounded, glancing back and forth between Anzu and the CEO like he was missing something important. Seto was about to drive the last nail in. "It's a good thing you broke up with Anzu when you did, Otogi. It finally made her realize she really wanted to be with me. So I guess we should thank you."

Any possible words that she could think of got caught in Anzu's throat. She didn't know what to say. Why was Kaiba doing this? What purpose could possibly be accomplished by telling Otogi that they had been secretly dating? She looked between the two men, noticing the tumult of mixed emotions flashing across Otogi's countenance. He looked confused, hurt, rejected, upset…

…in other words, all the things _she_ had felt when he broke up with her two weeks ago. Was Kaiba actually doing all of this for _her_ benefit? She looked over at him, barely noticing the fact that his hand was still twined with hers under the table. He was glaring at Otogi triumphantly. Noticing that Anzu's eyes were upon him, he let a small superior smile grace his features.

Anzu wasn't normally the kind of person who was prone to revenge, but she had to admit there was a certain pleasure in watching Otogi's distress. She felt… vindicated. And Seto Kaiba had been the one to help her to this point?

"We really should be going. Sorry to have intruded on your date for so long." Otogi gestured to Roxy, who rose silently from her chair wearing a haughty expression. "Goodnight Kaiba… Anzu." Otogi nodded his head toward Seto, but was unable to meet Anzu's eyes as he bid them goodnight. Anzu could hear Roxy complaining that they hadn't eaten yet as Otogi dragged her toward the restaurant entrance. She watched their retreat for a long moment, perplexed at the turn the night's events had taken. Looking back at Seto, she opened her mouth to say something, perhaps to thank him. It was then that the two blue-eyed individuals realized that they were still holding hands.

Even Seto looked slightly embarrassed as he released her small hand from his grasp, hyper aware of the softness of her skin and the sparks that crackled when the tips of their fingertips brushed at the last moment of contact. There was a silent moment where neither was sure what to do or say. As is often the case, they were saved the trouble by a well timed visit from a waiter. The head waiter, to be exact. Jean-Pierre smiled down at them with his hands clasped in front of him. "Now that your guests have gone, would Monsieur and Mademoiselle care to enjoy their dessert?"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

There! That was fun. I know Otogi kinda seemed like a jerk in this, but he's really not that bad. Just a little on the immature and insensitive side. Maybe Seto was able to teach him a lesson! If Seto seemed a little OOC, it's because he was putting on a show. I promise he'll be back to his somewhat caustic self in the next chapter. And did anyone forget that Mokuba is still hiding under the food cart? Hahaha… Please review, and I'll share my dessert!


End file.
